Part I - Players Ranked 1 - 16
Part III - Players Ranked 33-48
Part IV - Players Ranked 49-64
The-Mainboard.com 2011 NFL Draft Initial Big Board - Part II
List is from NFL Draft aficionado, Neal Olson.
Discuss the rankings with Neal by clicking here
17. DE/DT Cameron Heyward, Ohio State
-Heyward was a potential late first round selection if he had chosen to declare last year, however he opted to stay in school to improve his stock. He is an extremely versatile defensive lineman that can play anywhere from a 3-4 defensive end to a defensive tackle in a cover two scheme. The biggest thing that sticks out to me with Heyward is his overall motor. He is a non-stop player much like the mold of Adrian Clayborn and doesn't give up on a play early on even if it isn't to his side of the field. He shows a nice initial burst off of the ball and stays low to gain initial advantage. He is excellent at using his hands and that allows him to break free of opposing offensive lineman much more easily. Overall in a loaded defensive line class, Heyward is right in the thick of things to be chosen among the top 3-4. The one thing that sticks out with Heyward compared to a Robert Quinn is the lack of development in overall pass rush moves. That shouldn't a major concern to NFL executives as I would imagine that will come as he continues to develop as a pass rusher.
18. CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska
-Like both Aaron Williams and Patrick Peterson, Amukamara is a big physical corner with the addition of speed and agility. Amukamara was a converted running back, so it isn't a tremendous surprise that he is extremely flexible and is able to rotate his hips easily to keep up with sudden route changes. He is at his best in man coverage which goes along with his physical nature. He does a great job of changing receivers routes after the snap and frustrating opponents due to this taking them out of their flow. In addition to his coverage ability, Amukamara is good when coming up to the line of scrimmage. He isn't hesitant in going up to the line of scrimmage and does a great job wrapping up opponents not allowing them to get away. Amukamara is in the Aaron Williams mold in terms of size and could use to bulk up more as he gets to the league. He also is not necessarily extremely fast. He is quick off of the ball but can get beaten deep due to a lack of top end speed. In all, he was given the top grade last year and that isn't surprising after watching more of his film.
19. DE Allen Bailey, Miami
-Much like Robert Quinn, Bailey is a physical freak on the field. He is all of 6'4 and 288 pounds and doesn't look to have any bad weight on his body. Moving from linebacker to the defensive line was a great move for Bailey as he has improved on the field since the move. He is extremely versatile and can play either a five technique in a 3-4 defensive scheme or has the ability to play a defensive tackle in a 4-3 defensive scheme. He is an extremely strong lineman and has shown the ability to plow offensive lineman and has made it his go to pass rushing move. He is quick off of the ball and shows his explosiveness with his first step, which allows him to gain the initial advantage against most opposing offensive linemen. Despite all of this, I have him as the second to last top tier defensive linemen eligible to declare for the 2011 NFL Draft. I don't think he is the pass rusher that others in this class are and the biggest thing that shows is his slow nature in terms of disengaging blockers and changing direction. He doesn't use his hands extremely well and this is the root of his issues in terms of getting away from blockers. Overall I think Bailey is suited best as a five technique in a 3-4 defensive scheme.
20. QB Christian Ponder, Florida State
-After the big two at the quarterback position, I feel there is a slight drop off from the next two. Ponder certainly isn't to far behind the other two, but just lacks a few things that they do. Ponder is arguably the smartest decision maker out of the three which makes sense given the offensive system he has been in while he has been the quarterback at Florida State and his experience. Ponder has been given freedom from the coaching staff in making adjustments at the line of scrimmage and that is something that no one else in this class have. Given that Ponder uses his smarts and ability to make most throws required at the next level. He does have the ability to move around well in the pocket and allude rushers with relative ease. The biggest knock on Ponder is the lack of arm strength that is displayed. Personally I think he has adequate arm strength but it isn't on the level of the other two quarterbacks in this class. The deep balls tend to float on him and allow other defensive backs to get under the ball and make a play on it. Granted at the NFL level, that type of throw isn't required every throw or really that often. However it is something that executives may use against him, although the rest of the tools are there to be a top prospect.
21. OT Joseph Barksdale, LSU
-Although I have Potter as my top offensive lineman going into the year, Barksdale is not far behind for me. I think both have been better over early favorites such as Nate Solder and Gabe Carimi. Barksdale is an outstanding athlete at the position and that is the biggest thing that sticks out to me. He stays back very nicely in pass protection and doesn't get over aggressive which allows cut back lanes for opposing defensive linemen. With him being the athlete that he is, he is able to get to the second level in run blocking with ease and can open up bigger holes for his running back. On top of all of that, Barksdale does a great job staying low to the ground and being able to use leverage to his advantage and doesn't lose it that often. Although Barksdale was surprisingly better at pass protection than I thought he would be, he isn't as strong as I would like. He isn't the force in the running game that is usually correlated with an elite offensive linemen when it comes to pro potential. There is definitely room to grow when he is completely dedicated to football at the next level, but he may never establish a great mean streak.
22. CB Ras-I Dowling, Virginia
-Dowling was my initial top cornerback and although he is slipped it is more from watching other guys more extensively. Dowling continues the trend of big, physical corners eligible for the 2011 NFL Draft. He is very physical at the line of scrimmage and like Amukamara, isn't hesitant to breaking up a play in the box. He has good hips although not on the level of others which slows him a bit as routes develop during a play. He does have a great ability of jumping routes when he sees where the play is going and has excellent closing speed to break up passes and make interceptions. In addition to these positives, Dowling doesn't have the exceptional transition that the other top cornerbacks have in this class. He does have some issue coming out of breaks which forces him to recover with his speed. In the college game he can get away with it more often, however against more experienced players that he will face at the next level they may be able to take advantage of it more often. Even then, he is still a very good cornerback and should make any team that has the possibility drafting him happy come April.
23. OLB Bruce Carter, North Carolina
-Carter is the second member of the Tar Heel defense in my initial 32 players. Like Quinn, he is an extremely impressive athlete from the linebacker position. He is outstanding at changing directions quickly and getting to the other side of the field. He isn't quite on Lewis's level but shows very good pursuit and has a great motor as well. His sack numbers aren't in the class of Von Miller from Texas A&M, which surprised me a bit given his quickness all around the field. However I don't think that speaks to him as a pass rusher rather than how he is used in the North Carolina defense. Carter isn't used to the best of his abilities at Carolina and rather than getting after the QB he is used in coverage mostly. This is surprising as he isn't a great player in reading routes is often late to see a play materialize which leads to not being able to break up a pass he should be able to get to. As of right now I would think he fits better in a 4-3 scheme just based on his college experience, however an NFL team may want to transition him to an OLB role in a 3-4 and work on him in using his hands and develop him into a freak pass rusher.
24. ILB/OLB Dont'a Hightower, Alabama
-In an incredibly talented draft class, Hightower is the third member of the Crimson Tide to make my initial 32. Although he isn't the known commodity that a Dareus or Ingram is, Hightower is arguably the most talented of the three. In the little games he played in 2009, there is plenty of reason to be excited about Hightower's ability heading into 2011. He showcased tremendous aggressiveness towards breaking up plays and the memorable play from his shortened season was running down a play in the Virginia Tech game with no helmet. He has displayed the rare ability of both playing inside and outside in a 3-4 defensive scheme. He uses his hands well and has a tremendous motor as well. On the outside, he displays and excellent burst off of the line and is able to disrupt plays in the backfield with the ability to get great pressure on the opposing quarterback. Although he looked like he was going to challenge Rolando McClain as the top linebacker early on he suffered a season ending injury and halted the momentum he was gaining. His 2008 film isn't as impressive as the shortened 2009 season and he looked a bit out of place the games that I saw. He tended to be pushed out of the play to easy and played a bit to high for the position. So with that he is probably the biggest boom or bust candidate in the initial top 32, however I tend to think we will see the 2009 version of him rather than the 2008 version.
25. S DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson
-McDaniel is probably the biggest freak at the safety position that is eligible to declare for the 2011 draft. He isn't quite the athlete that Taylor Mays was but does trump Mays as a pure safety. McDaniel displays an excellent ability to diagnose plays early and thus he is able to get the proper jump on the ball and is able to attack the ball rather than play catch up. In addition to his ability to play the ball, McDaniel is a versatile safety as well. Given his size, he not only has the ability to play back and play centerfield well but also has the ability to play closer to the line of scrimmage. He does display above average tackling skills for a safety and isn't afraid to play closer to the line either. Although the 2009 season was a tremendous season for McDaniel, he decided to stay in school which was probably the right decision on his part. He is certainly a preseason first rounder and instead of being a fringe first rounder, if he is able to duplicate his 2009 season he has the ability to sky rocket and put himself in a position to be the first safety off of the board come next April.
26. TE Kyle Rudolph, Notre Dame
-In what is a very weak class for tight ends, Rudolph is certainly head and shoulders above the rest of the class going into the 2010 season. Rudolph is a monster target for any quarterback coming in at 6'6 and 240 pounds. In two seasons at Notre Dame he has run pretty good routes and has displayed great use of his hands as well. He attacks the ball as good as any tight end in the nation and his production should certainly be more than what it has been in two seasons. He is a good enough athlete at the position where he can be a mismatch type tight end in the NFL where he can outrun linebackers and be a huge asset in the intermediate passing game. On top of the passing game, Rudolph has shown the ability to be a plus run blocker as well. He uses his hands well and is strong enough to hold his own in the running game. The biggest knock on Rudolph going into the year is the lack of production. The concerns are warranted but I think this year he is going to be one of the go to targets for Crist and I would expect his production to increase dramatically as he asserts himself as the top Irish target outside of Floyd.
27. QB Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
-Going into the year Mallett arguably has the biggest arm of any quarterback prospect in all of college football. His physical tools are off of the charts and certainly warrant all of the hype that has been associated with them. He can make any throw that you ask him to and is developing the touch necessary to be a top flight quarterback prospect. He has shown excellent ability to use all parts of the field which isn't surprising due to the arm strength. In addition to the tools, the Texan does show the ability to evade the rush quite well in the film that I have seen. He isn't going to dash for a 20 yard run or anything like that but uses his feet well to evade on going rushers and extend the play. Although the tools are there, there have been numerous questions in relation to Mallett. The off the field maturity issues are well documented however on the field he tries to get away with his arm strength to much. He doesn't set his feet often enough which tend to make his throws float and be off target. This is something that most will want to see him improve upon this season and step up into his throws in order to make more accurate throws and limit the mistakes that he makes by doing this. If he is able to work on those things, he should be able to sky rocket up the boards come April if his off the field issues are limited.
28. DE Greg Romeus, Pittsburgh
-Romeus is probably the top of the second tier of defensive linemen eligible for the 2011 draft. He certainly is capable of improving upon his stock right now is a little raw. He arguably has the quickest bust outside of Quinn. He displays excellent speed off of the edge and will put up impressive speed numbers at the combine in February. In addition to just pure speed, Romeus has displayed excellent use of his hands when engaged with opposing offensive linemen. He also displays excellent athleticism in being able to deflect passes as he does for a guy that is that big. Although his physical tools are off of the charts, he does have a little bit to prove during the 2010 season. He tends to go in high when making tackles which doesn't allow him to finish tackles as well as he could. Needs to work on staying lower and wrapping up rather than just think he can muscle the defender down. He also is a bit slow in recognizing the play and due to this has a tendency of getting pushed off the ball on run plays to the outside. Overall his athleticism outstanding and all the tools are there for him to be a very good pass rusher in the NFL.
29. S Deunta Williams, North Carolina
-Williams is the a big physical safety who is a former receiver and the ability to play the ball shows on film. He is outstanding at reading the quarterback's eyes and seeing a play develop. With his speed and ability to do those items, it makes him very dangerous as a centerfielder in the secondary. He shows great ability to get the ball at its highest point and being a former receiver, it certainly doesn't come at any surprise. When he makes an interception, he does have the speed to make a highlight and bring the ball back a considerable distance. The main concern for Williams in evaluation will be how he develops technique wise in his backpedal. Often times on film, he is slow coming out of his backpedal which is going to hurt him at the next level more than it does now. He is able to get away with it at the college level due to his excellent recovery speed much like Dowling but NFL receivers will make him pay if he doesn't improve upon that weakness. Overall Williams is an outstanding playmaker and definitely among the top group when it comes to safeties eligible for next season's draft.
30. DT Jerrell Powe, Mississippi
-Powe's story is well documented and most know the difficulties he has had to even play college football. On the field, Powe shined in his first real season last year for the Rebels. At 320 pounds I was expecting a much heavier and less athletic big body, but Powe proved me wrong on that front. He is very active with his hands and has an excellent motor for a guy his size. I think he is easily the best nose tackle prospect heading into the year and would be surprised if he fell out of the middle of the second round unless he fell flat on his face during the 2010 season. He is very disruptive in the games that I saw him and reminds me a bit of Vince Wilfork from Miami. Both very big guys who are extremely athletic and quick for their size. Even though Powe is the best nose tackle prospect, with the agility he shows it wouldn't surprise me if he was able to perform in a 4-3 defensive scheme. Powe shows a great ability in driving through tackles and not letting to many guys get away from his grasp. Overall I think the biggest thing he has to prove coming into the year is work ethic and consistency. I don't see any reason why he can't be like a B.J. Raji who is a mammoth nose tackle who is also disruptive in addition to being able to hold the point of attack. I think Powe could be one of the biggest risers if he is able to build on the 2009 season he had and becoming a regular disruptive tackle during the season..
31. DT Lawrence Guy, Arizona State
-Guy may be a bit of an unknown to most outside of the Pac-10 region, however he is very impressive. He isn't the pass rusher that a lot of the guys on the list are, however is very good at using proper leverage and clogging up holes. Guy is more than capable of playing a 4-3 defensive tackle but I don't think that is what suits him best. He is a terrific player at holding his ground at the point of attack and not being ridden out of the play by opposing offensive linemen. He has active hands that allows him to disengage opposing offensive linemen. He seems terrific to play a five technique in a 3-4 defensive scheme and the attributes he used during his 2009 season should translate well for him at the next level. He also has a terrific motor, which allows him to never lose sight of a play and always a threat to break up a play even if it is on the other side of the field. Guy does have a tendency of getting out of his stance to quickly leading to him losing initial leverage, however he does do a good job to recover but will need to work on consistently keeping a low center of gravity. Guy is bunched in with a lot of other prospects with similar skill sets but like him a tad better than others on the outset of the season.
32. WR Titus Young, Boise State
-In a very talented wide receiver class, I think Young is a different player than most. Guys like Jeff Fuller and Julio Jones are similar to the top guys in terms of possession receivers more or less. I don't think those two guys have done much to separate themselves as elite possession guys that warrant first round hype as of now. However Titus Young reminds me a bit of Dexter McCluster from last year and DeSean Jackson from California a few years ago. He is a dynamic playmaker who can excel in the return game, in the receiving game and can even run the ball if he is required to. He is an explosive athlete who can separate from defensive backs with ease if they don't respect his speed, he is also excellent at making guys miss. Although he is the smallest receiver on the list thus far, Young is a physical receiver who isn't afraid of contact. As one would expect, Young has great hands being a receiver and a returner so that shouldn't be an issue at the next level. With all of that said, he does need to refine is route running as he doesn't run to many advanced routes compared to others as being in a spread will do that to a receiver. He also doesn't have the leaping ability of the top group of guys but makes up for it in other areas. I am not sure that a team will take him in the first round, however with smaller guys becoming more of a valued commodity Young should garner the consideration to be selected that high as he is an excellent playmaker.
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